The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of four ligaments that are tasked with keeping your knee joint stable. The ACL is located underneath the kneecap and prevents excessive motion of the joint.

Common Ways to Injure Your ACL

ACL tears are a common sports injury but can occur in other circumstances like car accidents, rough play falls, and work injuries. ACL tears are most commonly caused by pivoting or landing awkwardly from a jump.

Signs and Symptoms of an ACL Injury

When your ACL tears, you will feel a popping sensation, and your knee will feel wobbly or give out. The initial injury is followed by swelling and pain.

Diagnosing an ACL Tear

When you first suspect an ACL tear, your doctor will first perform a visual examination of your knee. They may also perform tests that involve putting stress on the ACL. Often, a doctor will order an MRI to get an idea of the extent of the damage. An MRI uses magnetic waves to create an accurate picture of structures within your knee, including your ligaments.

When you need an MRI for your knee, visit Woodbridge Radiology for an open MRI. We offer advanced imaging in New Jersey and can perform a wide variety of scans to suit your medical needs.

When you need an MRI scan, you can receive either a closed or open MRI. The difference between the two is inherent in the names, but how does your doctor determine which one you need? You can choose an open MRI at our facility for any reason, but a doctor may call for an open MRI for a handful of specific reasons:

Patients with Mobility Issues – A closed MRI does not provide many options for patients with mobility issues. Some MRIs required you to change position, and if you need someone to reposition your body for you, you have to have an open MRI to allow this person access. It is also easier to get in and out of the machine.

Larger Patients – A closed MRI leaves you with little space to move around in. Even our wide bore MRI is only 70cm, or about 27.6” – that’s a tight fit. If a patient is the same size or larger than the bore of the MRI, an open MRI will be requested for their comfort and safety.

Complicated Scans – Some scans may require you to position your body in a way that a closed MRI will not allow, or require you change positions. An open MRI provides the most room for mobility, so it is used for these more complicated scans.

Claustrophobia – Anxiety and claustrophobia are serious issues, and subjected a patient with these conditions to a closed MRI is a risk to both their mental and physical health. An open MRI is the best option for patients with claustrophobia because they are not in an enclosed space.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation in the digestive tract. Symptoms of Crohn’s include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, bloating, and weight loss. There is no apparent cause or cure for Crohn’s disease, which makes it frustrating to manage.

A Progressive Illness

Crohn’s disease is progressive, meaning it starts in one area and spreads. In the early stages of the disease, you may have very few symptoms, like those that we mentioned above. Eventually, however, Crohn’s can cause structural changes in your gastrointestinal tract and abnormalities like abscesses, fistulas, and fissures.

Inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can also cause a number of conditions if left untreated for a long time. These conditions, called “extraintestinal symptoms” of Crohn’s include arthritis, vision loss, gallstones, and more.

Diagnosing Crohn’s

If your doctor suspects that you have Crohn’s disease, the first thing they will do is order an endoscopy. This involves using a scope to look for inflammation and other tissue damage. In most cases, your doctor will order a colonoscopy, but they may also use a sigmoidoscopy (exam of the last third of the large intestine) or upper endoscopy.

If the endoscopy does not provide sufficient evidence of Crohn’s, the next step is to get an MRI. An MRI uses magnetic fields to create an accurate picture of the structures within your body. This can give doctors the visual they need to determine if an individual has Crohn’s disease or not.

The spine is made up of vertebrae, and between these vertebrae are spinal discs – soft cushions meant to absorb energy in the spine and allow it to bend and rotate. These discs can become damaged, causing pain in the back and legs.

Disc Bulges

A disc bulge occurs when the disc is slightly bulging outward from the spine, but not to the point of herniation. A disc bulge does not come in contact with the ligaments that separate the disc from your spinal canal, which houses your nerves.

Disc bulges are very common, even in young, active people. These are usually noted as an incidental finding and are generally not a concern. People with no back pain symptoms can still have bulging disks. Significant disc bulging may cause leg pain if it begins to press on the nerves in the spinal canal. When you get an MRI of your spine, the radiologist will be able to tell if the bulge is becoming a problem or if it is normal.

Herniated Discs

Herniated discs are also referred to as ruptured discs and occur when a disc is torn open. Constant or sudden pressure on the disc can cause it to rupture, which can be very painful. If you have a herniated disc, your options range from physical therapy and pain medication to spinal surgery.

It may surprise you to know that knee MRIs are one of the most common scans performed in radiology. X-rays provide a limited picture of the knee and often don’t provide the complete picture. MRIs can provide useful information about both soft tissues and bone. An MRI uses magnets and radio waves to create images of your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and important parts of the knee like the menisci and articular cartilage.

Knee Pain

Knee pain can come from a variety of different conditions, and a knee MRI helps your doctor make an accurate diagnosis. An MRI can see if there is fluid collecting in or outside the joint, soft tissue swelling, and stress fractures. It can also detect advanced arthritis that may be cause for a knee replacement. It’s crucial that you do not ignore knee pain, as it can be a sign of a severe condition.

Injuries

Knee injuries are prevalent in many sports, and can often end an athlete’s career if they are not adequately treated. An MRI can help determine which parts of the knee are affected, and can also let the doctor know when the patient can continue playing their sport. Letting an athlete go back to their sport too early after a knee injury can result in extensive and often permanent damage.

Pre-Operative Planning

The information provided by an MRI can provide a diagnosis and provide information that will be used to craft the best treatment for the patient. Many times an MRI will uncover unexpected findings that change treatment plans. Surgeons use knee MRIs to plan any necessary surgery. They can also tell your doctor whether physical therapy alone will be enough.

Visit our imaging center in New Jersey when you need a knee MRI or any other form of MRI scan. We offer the latest medical imaging technology at Woodbridge Radiology.

An MRI is one of the most commonly accepted methods of diagnosing Alzheimer ’s disease before it is too late for treatment. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that results in memory loss and changes in thinking and behavior.

Studying the Progression of the Disease

MRIs can provide incredibly detailed images that can be used to track many varieties of degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. When a patient develops Alzheimer’s disease, their brain begins to atrophy. MRIs use magnets and radio sound waves to produce an image of the patient’s brain. This scan can help doctors find atrophy in the brain and track its deterioration by comparing the scans of an Alzheimer’s patient with a healthy brain scan.

Because MRIs provide such clear images, they are an enormous asset in Alzheimer’s research, helping scientists track the progression of this disease in the search for possible cures. With such detailed scans, doctors can pinpoint which specific areas of the brain are affected by atrophy and how that, in turn, affects the patient’s cognitive function.

When you are looking for a facility to provide diagnostic imaging in New Jersey, contact the team at Woodbridge Radiology. Our advanced imaging facility near Woodbridge, NJ, can provide a number of different screenings, including open MRI and low dose CT scans.

If you are one of the many Americans who experiences asthma, you also understand how difficult the summer can be if you suffer from this

disorder. Finding relief during days that are humid, full of pollen, and are very warm temperature-wise is almost impossible with asthma, but luckily, there are tips in managing it to make it easier on yourself this summer season. Here are a few things you can do when the weather gets too warm and your asthma kicks into high gear:

Monitor your local weather forecast closely to see days where there are higher than normal temperatures or large drops in the air pressure. Sudden changes in weather, such as going from the high 90’s one day and the low 60’s the next can also trigger asthma in many people.

Keep an inhaler with you at all times. If possible, keep an emergency inhaler at the places you frequent the most, such as work, home, or a significant other’s home.

Additionally, you also want to store your inhaler somewhere cool in temperature and dry. Places like your car and out in the sun should not be areas where you keep your asthma medication.

Take it easy on yourself and do not overdo it on exercise when it is extremely warm and humid outside. Exercise can also trigger asthma and can be especially prone to flare up when the temperatures rise, so keep an eye on how much you are doing during your workouts.

Having a safe, comfortable facility for diagnostic imaging in New Jersey is important. When you are looking for somewhere to have an MRI or another type of diagnostic imaging test done in the Woodbridge area, turn to us at Woodbridge Radiology. Contact our staff to set up your appointment today at (732) 326-1515.

There are plenty of ways to find out if you have a broken bone that are performed by your physician. From asking you about how you injured that part of your body to the way it physically looks after the injury, your doctor goes through a list of diagnostic steps to determine if that bone is fractured or broken in your body. However, finding out if you have uterine fibroids or cirrhosis of the liver requires more detailed testing done by your doctor. An MRI is used to test many different types of conditions and allows your physician to get a precise, detailed look at what is going on inside of your body. Here are a few things that you probably did not know could be detected by an MRI:

Multiple sclerosis – One of the most common conditions that an MRI detects is multiple sclerosis, or MS. This degenerative disease affects multiple parts of the body, such as the central nervous system, your muscles, and your immune system. Many people think that the primary way MS is found with a spinal tap, which is one way it can be diagnosed. However, it can also be spotted in an MRI of your spinal cord and brain.

Cushing syndrome – Another disease that can be diagnosed through an MRI is Cushing syndrome. This disease primarily affects the adrenal gland and can cause tumors to grow in your pituitary gland. This condition develops as the body is exposed to too much cortisol, or the hormone in our bodies that spikes because of stress or other environmental factors. Symptoms of Cushing syndrome often present themselves physically on the patient, such as easily bruising skin, irregular menstrual cycles, issues with their libido, or muscle weakness. However, it can often be detected in an MRI scan of the pituitary gland as well.

It is finally summertime, Woodbridge! You can finally head outside into the glistening sunshine without your coat and spend some quality time outdoors. Whether you have spent all winter indoors or are just itching to get your blood flowing, right now is the perfect time to start running. Cardio is excellent for your heart, lungs, and muscle strength, and can merge exercising with spending time in nature. If you are not sure that you want to start running or you cannot seem to find the motivation to, we have the perfect playlist for you to listen to at Woodbridge Radiology. We have compiled some of our most blood-pumping, heart-racing summer songs to get you out the door and on your feet.

“Dance to the Music” – Sly & The Family Stone

“Toxic” – Britney Spears

“Respect” – Aretha Franklin

“I Really Like You” – Carly Rae Jepsen

“Born This Way” – Lady Gaga

“The Way You Move” – OutKast

“Move Your Feet” – Junior Senior

“Super Bass” – Nicki Minaj

“One More Time” – Daft Punk

“BO$$” – Fifth Harmony

“ABC” – The Jackson 5

“Get Up Offa That Thing” – James Brown

“Take Me Out” – Franz Ferdinand

“Brave” – Sara Bareilles

“Bulletproof” – La Roux

“A-YO” – Lady Gaga

Woodbridge Radiology is the premier facility for diagnostic imaging in New Jersey. If you are looking for more information regarding our hours, the insurances we accept, or to schedule an appointment with our ACR-certified radiology team, give us a call today at (732) 326-1515.

June is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this heartbreaking, painful condition is the sixth

leading cause of death and affects over 5.7 million people in the United States. Unfortunately, one in 10 people over the 65 have Alzheimer’s, so this disease affects many people you know, love, or care for on a daily basis. At Woodbridge Radiology, we want our patients to be in the best health they can be by promoting wellness, early detection, and prevention of certain diseases, including Alzheimer’s. In an effort to raise awareness about this condition, here are some fast facts about Alzheimer’s that we think you should know.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, every 65 seconds someone in the country develops or is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is the most frequently diagnosed form of dementia and causes memory loss, speech issues, attention problems, and difficulties with reasoning in patients.

While it is most commonly diagnosed in people that are over 65, there are around 200,000 cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease each year that affect those who are under the age of 65.

One of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is a loss of memory, but many other patients also experience behavioral changes, confusion, and disorientation as well.

Those who have a family history, have had a traumatic brain injury, and have high cholesterol are all at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Early detection is the key to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. If you or someone you love is looking for an imaging center in New Jersey to have diagnostic testing done, turn to us at Woodbridge Radiology. Schedule your appointment with us today at (732) 326-1515.